Grace Black
"Grace" redirects here, for Tony Hutchinson's deceased daughter. Grace Black, 'played by Tamara Wall, made her first appearance on 8th November 2013. Wall's character and casting was announced on 24th October 2013. Characterisation ''"Grace Black is as strong as New Years Day coffee and she manages to turn heads wherever she goes. But don't be fooled – her smile is a mask and her perfectly manicured nails are claws in disguise (and are just as sharp)! Fierce, ruthless and dangerous – it's easy to see how Grace is the only gangster left standing in the Black family." — an excerpt from Grace's biography on the Channel 4 website. Grace was introduced as the elder sister of Clare Devine and estranged daughter of Fraser Black. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy also warned that viewers could expect an "interesting dynamic" between Grace and Fraser's employee Trevor Royle. In 2013, Wall described Grace as "rock-hard", following a childhood that left her damaged emotionally. Fraser paid more attention to Clare and left Grace to fend for herself. Wall explained that "she was the strong one and quite tomboyish. Grace now spends her whole life putting on a front that you don't ever mess with her. But behind closed doors, she secretly wants to be quite girly – although she'd never, ever show that!" Grace enjoys being involved in a criminal lifestyle. She wants to prove to her father she can "handle herself in a man's world". Wall has said that Grace is "clever", "two-faced" and "sly"; and different to her sister Clare. Initially a villain, Grace's character received almost universally negative criticism, the backlash leading to a redemption arc being written. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood and his team introduced a surrogacy storyline featuring Esther Bloom, making her Grace's best friend and "very surprising sidekick". Kirkwood believed it would "throw Grace into a non-criminal world and see her behave differently, smile more, show a softer side and offer the audience a chance to witness other facets to her character." He later reflected that the changes had given her family, friends and "a great big beating heart". She became friendlier as a result of mothering Curtis and writers ensured Grace had more comedy about her character. Wall states that Grace can be "a little bit of a freak" in her pursuit of the perfect family life, but believed Grace would never get her "happily ever after". 2013- '''Backstory and arrival Following her mother walking out on Clare and six-year-old Grace, the sisters were raised by Fraser Black - who had also taken in an orphaned Trevor Royle. The two sisters never got along, Grace believing Fraser cared more about Clare. Whilst Grace and Trevor harboured mutual feelings, they pretended to hate each other. Grace arrives in the village for Clare's funeral, determined to discover the truth behind her death. Upon noticing the suspicious behaviour of Mercedes McQueen, Lindsey Roscoe and Cindy Savage, Grace monitors them, unaware the three characters are covering up the murder of Doctor Browning (Clare's killer). When Mercedes receives Doctor Browning's life insurance money, she flaunts her wealth in the village, infuriating Grace: her hatred for Mercedes grows to the point of planned murder. Fraser enlists Trevor to seduce Mercedes, intending to con her out of her inheritance. When Grace is overcome with jealousy, Trevor confronts her about her temper outbursts: Grace admits her attraction to him and they have sex in the Loft office. Upon finding CCTV footage of them together, Fraser coerces Trevor into rejecting Grace, devastating her. Ray McCormick, an enemy of Fraser, kidnaps Grace and holds her for ransom. On New Year's Eve, Trevor uses Mercedes' money to free Grace, and admits his love to her. Fraser's murder and Grace's IVF/surrogacy (2014) Freddie Roscoe discovers Trevor and Grace's secret relationship, showing Fraser photographs of them together. Fraser subsequently gets Trevor put in prison, separating him from an outraged Grace. She enacts her revenge by holding his brother Joe Roscoe hostage in an empty block of flats, but as the house is hit by a wrecking ball, Grace believes herself to be responsible for Joe's 'murder'. Learning that Fraser killed Trevor's father, Trevor is freed from prison in exchange for information on Fraser. Trevor attempts revenge, but is talked out of it by Grace, who provides an alibi - relaying the blame onto Ray. The couple reunite and go public. When Grace learns that Fraser fathered another daughter, Grace panics and takes Tegan Lomax (baby Rose's mother) on a 'walk' to the edge of a cliff, under the impression that history will repeat itself and Fraser will favour Tegan and Rose over her. Trevor stops Grace from pushing Tegan, but Fraser disowns Grace regardless. Ray and his henchmen attack Grace at Clare's grave, leaving her for dead. Trevor plans on killing Ray, but Grace stops him, buying him the florists': telling him she supports his change of lifestyle, and choice to settle down. Their happiness is short-lived as he learns that Grace lied about Ray killing his dad, and that Fraser was to blame after all. She murders Ray as a warning to Trevor, and the couple reconcile off-screen. In April, it is revealed that Joe is still alive as he wakes from his coma. Trevor and Grace plan to move to Thailand together, but Fraser blames Grace for Joe's attempted murder, getting her arrested. Grace reaches breaking point and conspires with Trevor and Joe to get rid of Fraser after all. The plan backfires as Grace breaks down and warns Fraser beforehand, with Sandy Roscoe hospitalised by poisonous gas meant for Fraser. Whilst Grace does intend to kill him, she finds herself unable to go through with it, and is overcome with grief when Freddie murders him instead. She tries to avenge his death by finding Fraser's killer (accusing Tegan, Ste, Joe and Freddie), but a misunderstanding causes her to blame Trevor, getting him arrested. After Grace is found 'not guilty' for Joe's attempted murder, Freddie and Mercedes decide to kill her, but a misunderstanding leads to Grace getting shot in an ovary. It has to be removed, and as her other ovary was irreparably damaged from a past infection, she was left practically unable to conceive. When she and Trevor reunite, following his release in July, Grace confesses that she's been left infertile, and the two attempt IVF. Grace becomes pregnant, but following her kidnap by Robert 'Big Bob' Gupta, Grace miscarriages a week into the pregnancy. Esther Bloom agrees to become a surrogate for them, following Grace saving her life in a hospital lockdown. In November, Grace discovers Freddie murdered her father, and following a confrontation, he pushes Grace off the roof of the Loft. 2015-''' After Freddie escapes justice for Fraser's murder, Grace and Mercedes team up to fake Mercedes' death, framing him. Meanwhile, the arrival of Trevor's teenage son Dylan Royle causes conflict between Trevor and Grace. Grace becomes paranoid that Trevor is cheating on her with Porsche, and following a row, Grace kisses Esther's girlfriend Kim Butterfield - the first scene in which she is portrayed as bisexual. On 8th April, Trevor proposes to Grace at his birthday party: but Grace is jailed, after admitting to framing Freddie on a wire recording. Kim grows obsessive and has herself put in Grace's cell, where the pair have sex. When Grace is freed, Trevor presents her with a ring, but the engagement is called off when he learns about her one-night-stand with Kim. Esther decides that Grace doesn't deserve the baby, and left with nothing, Grace turns up to Freddie's wedding with a gun. Trevor promises to reunite with her if she doesn't shoot anyone, and they get the baby back. Kim induces Esther's labour, baby Curtis being born premature. Esther decides she wants to keep him. Grace and Trevor fight with her for custody, Grace continuing to have sex with Kim to keep her on side. Esther and Kim decide to run away with Curtis. After a high-speed car chase, Dylan dies at the hands of Lindsey, and Trevor blames Grace for crashing the car, forcing her to move away. He changes his mind, tracking her down, but Lindsey persuades Grace that Trevor committed the series of hospital murders, getting Trevor locked up. Grace uses Darren Osborne as a rebound until he ditches her to get back with Nancy, leaving her lonely on New Years' Eve. Esther develops a crush on Grace, and surprises her with a kiss. For a short period of time, Esther and Grace make things official, but Trevor's return disrupts this. He and Grace get back together once and for all, and plan their long-awaited wedding: but her lack of empathy for his PTSD leads to him having an affair with Sienna Blake. Her daughter, Nico Blake, stabs him as revenge. Trevor says his vows, but dies in Grace's arms at the aisle. Overwhelmed by grief, Grace refuses to change out of her wedding dress for a week, and Sienna persuades her to take it off - the two becoming friends. This lasts until Trevor's funeral, in which Grace discovers the affair and attacks Sienna. Her three brothers (Liam Donovan, Adam Donovan and Jesse Donovan) move to the village and intervene, keeping her company at the flat. In January 2017 as revenge for Eva Falco shooting Esther Bloom Grace gets her gun and shoots Eva In the head killing her Grace's brother Liam Donovan who was In a relationship with Eva knows that Grace killed her he tries to work with DS Thorpe by the the time that does not work Liam kidnapps Esther and tells Grace he wants 50,000 pounds Grace by then has recuited the help of Kim Butterfeild who suggests to Grace to ask Warren Fox for the money Warren gives Grace the 50,000 pounds but sets her a time and a deal If she cannot pay him back by the end of the day he gets The Loft (The Club) that Grace owns, Grace meets Liam gives her the money and Liam set Esther free and leave with the money the times up and Warren tells Grace and she refuses at first but hands over the keys to The Loft, Grace does everything In her power to get back the loft and she hired two thugs to barge In and tie her and Warren up and they demand to know where Bart McQueen Is who Warren murdered for thinking he was responsible for his sisters Katy Fox's death. '''Relationship with Glenn Donovan Between 2017 and 2018, there are many changes in the Black-Donovan Family. Jesse Donovan commits with Darcy Wilde, but she left him for his brother Adam, the real father of Toby Wilde is Glenn and Tracey Donovan dies. After all this storylines, it is revealed that the girl that caused the divorce of Glenn Donovan and Tracey Donovan, is Grace, and after that, Grace and Glenn start a relationship. Murders Kill Count *Ray McCormick - Stabbed. *Eva Falco - Shot. *Total: 2 Trivia * Grace was 11 years old the night that her father, Fraser Black, murdered Trevor Royle's father, Sid. This was in November of 1992 meaning Grace was likely born in 1981 (from episode 3790, aired 31st January 2014). Intro * 2013-2014: Grace throws a drink at the camera after Fraser, who is sitting in a chair, snaps his fingers. * 2014-2015: Grace throws a drink at the camera (same shot with Fraser removed). * 2015: Grace throws a necklace at the camera with Trevor beside her. * 2015-2016: Grace throws wine at the camera and then poses as it trickles down the lens. * 2016: Grace throws wine at the camera whilst in the Loft. Notes Grace Black on villains wiki. Category:Anti-Heroes Category:Hollyoaks Villains Category:Hollyoaks Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Black Family Category:Gangster Category:2013 Characters Category:Murderers Category:Donovan Family Category:1981 births